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Topic: Quick Question About Walking a Cat (Read 831 times)

I'm getting a ragdoll kitten soon and one of the things people have been encouraging me to do is allow him/her to go on walks. I certainly see the benefits, particularly exercise and mental stimuli, especially if your place is small. Anyway, one thing I'm worried about is if he/she smells another animal during these walks, won't that make the kitty feel territorially insecure and encourage marking in the house? I've been watching a lot of My Cat from Hell and one of the main issues are insecure kitties feeling the need to mark because they sense another animal closeby.

I've never had an issue with it (growing up we had indoor/outdoor cats but my current cat is permitted out sometimes with supervision). I think they're pretty capable of recognizing that the place they live in is their territory and not necessarily everything outside is theirs and thus a cause for insecurity. Dogs seem to understand that pretty well, I don't see why a cat wouldn't.

Congrats! We LOVE our ragdoll. We have a daughter with some special needs and she wanted one, and although we have only had rescue kitties for many years for both ethical and financial reasons, this felt right and they are a great match. Mei-Mei is a little tank--having reached 14 pounds at 10 months although she is square little breadbox. We just have to watch where we step because she loves to wait for you on the stairs, weave around your feet as you walk, and show her belly and wave her paws when you're in the bathroom. She also loves dripping water. She is very low maintenance. After nearly a year we had to do a little work on her back fur to work out some mats, unlike our other longhair who must be body clipped down regularly. She loves to play and anything can be a toy.

Were you planning to use a harness and leash? Probably a good idea as even the mellowest kittie can take off to chase something or get away from something. Also regular parasite treatment and keeping an eye that they don't eat off the ground due to spoiled or poisoned things. Finally be prepared to quickly scoop kittie up if danger presents itself.